Real-world glycated haemoglobin changes among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated with a maintenance dose of 7 mg or 14 mg of oral semaglutide.

AIM: To describe the change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) among patients with type 2 diabetes following treatment with a 7 or 14 mg maintenance dose of oral semaglutide. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective, claims-based study included adult patients with type 2 diabetes with a pre-index HbA1c of ≥7%, initiating treatment with oral semaglutide between 1 November 2019 and 30 June 2020; the patients had continuous health plan enrolment for ≥12 months before (pre-index) and ≥6 months following (post-index) the date of the first oral semaglutide claim (index). Patients were required to have a maintenance dose of 7 or 14 mg. Pre-index demographic and clinical characteristics were captured, as were doses at initiation and prescriber specialty. The change in HbA1c between the latest post-index and pre-index HbA1c measurements was calculated among all patients and among those with ≥90 days of continuous treatment (persistent patients). RESULTS: This study included 520 patients, most of whom had a complex medical history, experienced a range of comorbidities and received an average of 11.5 different classes of medications during the pre-index period. The mean HbA1c reduction during the 6-month post-initiation period was 1.2% (p < .001) for all patients and 1.4% (p < .001) for persistent patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world study, patients with a pre-index HbA1c ≥7% who initiated treatment with oral semaglutide with a 7 or 14 mg maintenance dose had significantly lower HbA1c levels following treatment.

Emergency Medical Services Provider Perspectives on Pediatric Calls: A Qualitative Study.

Objective: Previous research indicates that 9-1-1 response to incidents involving children is particularly distressing for emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians. This qualitative study was conducted to increase understanding about the difficulties of responding to pediatric calls and to obtain information about how organizations can better support EMS providers in managing potentially difficult calls. Methods: Paramedics and emergency medical technicians from a single U.S. ambulance service were invited to participate in focus groups about responding to 9-1-1 calls involving pediatric patients. A total of 17 providers from both rural and metro service regions participated in six focus groups held in community meeting spaces. A semi-structured focus group guide was used to explore (1) elements that make pediatric calls difficult, (2) pre-arrival preparation practices, (3) experiences with coping after difficult pediatric calls, and (4) perspectives about offered and desired resources or support. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcripts were analyzed using standard coding, memoing, and content analysis methods in qualitative analysis software (NVivo). Results: Responses about elements that make pediatric calls difficult were organized into the following themes: (1) special social value of children, (2) clinical difficulties with pediatric patients, (3) added acuity to already challenging calls, (4) caregivers as secondary patient, and (5) identifying with patient or patient's family. Pre-arrival preparation methods included mental or verbal review of hypothetical scenarios and refocusing nerves or emotions back to the technical aspect of the job. Participants described using available resources that largely took the form of social support. Suggestions for additional resources included: increased opportunities for external feedback; more frequent pediatric clinical training; institutionalization of recovery time after difficult calls; and improved storage and labeling of pediatric equipment. Conclusions: This study provides qualitative data about the difficulties of responding to pediatric calls and resources needed to support clinicians. Findings from this study can be used to guide EMS leaders in designing and implementing institutional initiatives to enhance training and support for prehospital clinicians providing care to children.

A mixed methods analysis of quality of life among late-life patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL) is an important consideration for people living with advancing chronic conditions. Palliative care providers speak about how, despite physical decline in late life, many patients report growth and meaning in other domains. This mixed methods study uses QOL survey responses to explore domain trajectories and interview data to explore how patients with advancing chronic conditions experience distinct QOL domains. METHODS: The study sample includes 156 now-deceased participants who completed the FACIT-Pal quarterly, and 40 (10 now-deceased) participants who discussed QOL in an interview. Mean subscale scores were plotted over participants' last 18 months to reveal QOL trajectories. Interview data were analyzed to reveal how participants' experience, actions and cognitive processes influenced QOL scores. RESULTS: Physical and functional subscale ratings show gradual decline. Emotional QOL maintains with a small dip 2-3 months before death, and social QOL ratings improve in participants' final 3 months. Participants create and strengthen relationships that help them better manage health and receive instrumental and emotional support; seek activities in which they can find joy, meaning, and purpose; and support cognitions through which patients accept and communicate about illness, and emphasize positives. CONCLUSION: QOL domains exist in different trajectories. Despite physical and functional decline, participant ratings of emotional QOL maintain and ratings of social QOL improve at end of life. Understanding the processes through which participants countered declining QOL may help providers identify how to best support and promote improved QOL for patients during their final months.

Combining Best Practices and Patient, Caregiver, and Healthcare Provider Perspectives for Late-Life Supportive Care: LifeCourse.

Healthcare systems seek effective ways to support and treat the growing number of individuals living with serious illness. The nature of these care episodes challenges delivery systems to attain proficiency in dealing with the multiplicity of chronic conditions in individuals and populations through understanding and attending to patients' medical and nonmedical aspects of health. This article describes LifeCourse, a healthcare approach that provides palliative care practices to patients with serious illness years prior to death.

A mixed methods study of emotional exhaustion: Energizing and depleting work within an innovative healthcare team.

This mixed methods study documents emotional exhaustion experiences among care team members during the development of an innovative team approach for caring for adults with serious illness. A mixed methods study design was employed to examine depleting work experiences that may produce emotional exhaustion, and energizing aspects of the work that may increase meaningfulness of work, thus reducing emotional exhaustion. The population studied included team members involved in care for adults with serious illness (n = 18). Team members were surveyed quarterly over an 18-month period using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The MBI measures burnout, defined as the inability to continue work because of the interactional toll of the work. Analyses of MBI data show that although overall levels of burnout are low, 89% of team members reported moderate/high levels of emotional exhaustion during at least one survey period. In order to understand the kinds of work experiences that may produce or ameliorate emotional exhaustion, qualitative interviews were also conducted with team members at the end of the 18-month period. Major qualitative findings indicate that disputes within the team, environmental pressures, and standardisation of meaningful work leave team members feeling depleted. Having authentic relationships with patients, working as a team, believing in the care model, and practicing autonomy and creativity help team members to restore their emotional energy. Supports for team members' well-being are critical for continued innovation. We conclude with recommendations for improving team members' well-being.

Real-world HbA1c changes and prescription characteristics among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients initiating treatment with once weekly semaglutide for diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient, prescriber, and dose characteristics and evaluate changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) for patients prescribed once weekly semaglutide for diabetes (OW sema T2D). Methods: This study was a retrospective claims-based study using the Optum Research Database. The sample included adult patients who had at least one claim for OW sema T2D between Jan 1, 2018, and Dec 31, 2019, were continuously enrolled in the health plan and had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) during the pre-index or post-index periods. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients using OW sema T2D were collected, as were the dose and prescriber specialty and the change between pre-index and post-index HbA1c measures was calculated. Results were stratified by the latest pre-index HbA1c measurement (HbA1c greater than or equal to 9.0%, uncontrolled vs. HbA1c less than 9%, controlled). Statistical comparisons between HbA1c groups were conducted. Results: Most patients, 76.3%, were prescribed a 0.25/0.50 mg dose of OW sema T2D. Patients had an overall decrease in HbA1c of 0.8% and patients with uncontrolled diabetes had a greater reduction in mean HbA1c compared to those with controlled diabetes (-2.1% vs. -0.3%, p < 0.001). Most patients had their index dose of OW sema T2D prescribed by endocrinologists (27.6%) primary care providers (24.6%) and internal medicine providers (21.6%). Conclusions: OW sema T2D is an effective real-world T2DM treatment. Future research should further investigate real-world use patterns of this medication.

Real-World Treatment Patterns Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Initiating Treatment with Oral Semaglutide.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment landscape for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is complex and constantly evolving, and real-world evidence of prescribing patterns is limited. The objectives of this study were to characterize lines of therapy (LOTs), calculate the length of time spent on each LOT, and identify the reasons for the LOT end among patients who initiated oral semaglutide for T2DM. METHODS: This retrospective, claims-based study included commercial and Medicare Advantage adults with T2DM. Data from November 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, were obtained from Optum Research Database. Patients with ≥ 1 claim for oral semaglutide and continuous health plan enrollment for ≥ 12 months prior to (baseline period) and ≥ 6 months following (follow-up period) the date of the first oral semaglutide claim were included. LOT 1 began on the date of the first oral semaglutide claim. The start date of any subsequent LOTs was the date of the first claim for an additional non-insulin anti-diabetic drug class or a reduction in drug class with use of commitment medications. The LOT ended at the first instance of medication class discontinuation, change in regimen or end of follow-up. RESULTS: Of the 1937 patients who initiated oral semaglutide, 950 (49.0%) remained on their initial regimen over the 6-month follow-up period, 844 (43.6%) had at least one subsequent LOT, and 89 (4.6%) had at least two subsequent LOTs. Among patients with more than one LOT, approximately 20%-25% used oral semaglutide as monotherapy or combination therapy during LOTs 2 and 3. Metformin was frequently used during treatment across all LOTs. CONCLUSION: This study provides insight for physicians and payers into the real-world prescribing practices within the first 6 months following oral semaglutide initiation and fills the gap in understanding the frequency of regimen changes in the constantly evolving and complex environment of T2DM care.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a disease which, over time, can cause higher than normal levels of sugar in the blood (hyperglycemia) which can be harmful if not treated. Treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus can be complex, and how doctors prescribe medications is always changing. For some people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are overweight or obese, it is recommended for patients to use certain medications that can help with weight management such as semaglutide and metformin. This study aims to fill gaps in current treatment knowledge about type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and their treatment of oral semaglutide. Researchers in this study explored how patients treated with oral semaglutide differentiated among line of therapies, how long patients stuck to them and why they stopped. The study found that those patients who started with oral semaglutide, almost half of those patients stuck to their initial treatment plan for the entire 6 months. When it came to the top ten treatment plans, about 20% of patients used oral semaglutide alone and about 25% of patients used oral semaglutide plus an additional treatment option. Metformin was frequently used during treatment across all line of therapies. There is little information on the real-life setting of treatment after the start of therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The results from this study show what happens when patients start using oral semaglutide and helps healthcare providers understand how often treatment plans can change in type 2 diabetes mellitus care.

Dopamine agonist monotherapy utilization in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: To characterize patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who initiated dopamine agonist (DA) monotherapy, describe medication utilization and provider types, and estimate medication adherence and discontinuation rates. Methods: Retrospective study identified patients with PD in the Optum Research Database and included those with ≥1 claim for DA or levodopa between 09/01/2012 and 12/31/2018, ≥2 PD diagnoses, commercial or Medicare Advantage Part D (MAPD) insurance, ≥40 years old, and continuous medical and pharmacy coverage ≥12 months before and after index date. A subset of patients receiving DA monotherapy was selected for this analysis. Variables were analyzed descriptively. Adherence was measured with medication possession ratio (MPR) and proportion of days covered (PDC); defined as ≥0.80. Results: Patients (N = 642) had mean (SD) age of 70.2 (9.9) years, 70.6 % had MAPD coverage, and 61.7 % were male. Neurologists prescribed 64.6 % of DA monotherapy, and 56.9 % of patients had ≥2 PD diagnoses before or on the index date. Index therapy was discontinued by 44.1 % of patients, and 55.9 % persisted for 12 months without change. Mean (SD) time to discontinuation was 102 (79) days. Mean (SD) MPR for patients (n = 562) with ≥2 fills was 0.84 (0.2); 70.3 % were MPR adherent. Mean (SD) PDC for all 642 patients was 0.66 (0.3); 50.5 % were PDC adherent. Conclusion: Adherence and continuation of therapy were suboptimal, which could translate into poor patient outcomes. Future studies could provide insights on the impact of low adherence and persistence with DA monotherapy.

Burden of Illness Among Patients with Psychosis due to Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Other Dementias.

Limited research is available on the real-world experiences of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). This study evaluated clinical events, healthcare utilization, and healthcare costs of patients with DLB vs other dementia types with psychosis (ODP). Study patients included commercial and Medicare Advantage with Part D enrollees aged ≥40 years with evidence of DLB and ODP from 6/01/2015‒5/31/2019. Compared with patients with ODP, more patients with DLB had clinical events including anticholinergic effects, neurologic effects, and cognitive decline. Patients with DLB used more healthcare resources with greater dementia-related office and outpatient visits and psychosis-related inpatient stays and office, outpatient, and emergency visits compared with their ODP patient counterparts. Patients with DLB also incurred higher healthcare costs for all-cause and dementia-related office visits and pharmacy fills, and psychosis-related total costs. Understanding the clinical and economic impact of DLB and ODP is important to improve care for patients with dementia.

Real-World Hemoglobin A1c Changes, Prescribing Provider Types, and Medication Dose Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Initiating Treatment with Oral Semaglutide.

INTRODUCTION: Given the lack of real-world data on oral semaglutide use outside clinical trials, the purpose of this study was to describe dose, prescriber specialty, and change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) after 6 months of oral semaglutide treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This was a retrospective study among adult patients with T2DM with ≥ 1 claim for oral semaglutide between November 1, 2019`1-June 30, 2020. Patients had continuous health plan enrollment ≥ 12 months prior to (pre-index) and ≥ 6 months following (post-index) the date of the first oral semaglutide claim (index). Dose at initiation and specialty of the prescribing provider were captured. Change in HbA1c between the last post- and pre-index HbA1c measurement was calculated. Patients were stratified by pre-index HbA1c ≥ 9% (poorly controlled) and HbA1c < 9%. RESULTS: A total of 744 HbA1c < 9% and 268 poorly controlled patients were included in the study. Most patients had an initial oral semaglutide dose of 7 mg (49.3%) or 3 mg (42.9%), prescribed most frequently by a primary care provider (27.8%). Mean HbA1c reduction was 0.8% (p < 0.001). Patients with poorly controlled T2DM had greater HbA1c reductions than patients with HbA1c < 9% (2.0% versus 0.4%, p < 0.001). Patients persistent with oral semaglutide (≥ 90 days continuous treatment) had a mean HbA1c reduction of 0.9% (p < 0.001); persistent patients with poorly controlled T2DM had a mean reduction of 2.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with T2DM in this study experienced significant reductions in HbA1c within 6 months following initiation of oral semaglutide. Patients with a higher starting HbA1c experienced greater HbA1c reductions. The initial dose of oral semaglutide was higher than prescribing instructions indicated for more than half of the study patients.

New insights into the optimal management of COPD: extracts from CHEST 2021 annual meeting (October 17-20, 2021).

INTRODUCTION: Discordance between real-world prescribing patterns and global treatment guidelines for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with inhaled single or dual long-acting bronchodilator maintenance therapy is increasingly being reported in the literature, particularly with regard to addition of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Patient-related factors, e.g. inhalation technique and inspiratory flow, are key to disease control in COPD. Treatment discordance and patient-related factors can lead to high-cost side effects and sub-optimal treatment benefit; furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to new challenges in COPD management. AREAS COVERED: This article summarizes a series of presentations sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and delivered at the annual CHEST congress 2021 (October 17-20, 2021) that explored new insights into the optimal management of COPD. EXPERT OPINION/COMMENTARY: There is a concerning high degree of discordance with GOLD recommendations. Dual therapy without addition of ICS does not increase exacerbation risk and could reduce pneumonia risk, and unnecessary prescription of triple therapy has financial implications. Clinic-based spirometry may not reflect the home setting, and training is required; inhalers that operate independently of users' inhalation profiles should be considered. Integration of digital healthcare solutions into clinical studies is suggested in the post-COVID setting, although further evaluation is required.

Burden of illness among patients with dementia-related psychosis.

BACKGROUND: More than 5.6 million Americans suffer from dementia, and that number is expected to double by 2060. This comes at a considerable burden to the health care system with costs estimated at $157-$215 billion in 2010. Depending on dementia type and disease progression, approximately 20%-70% of patients experience dementia-related psychosis (DRP), characterized by hallucinations and/or delusions resulting in worse clinical outcomes and greater caregiver burden compared with patients without DRP. OBJECTIVE: To compare real-world clinical events, health care resource utilization (HCRU), and health care costs among matched cohorts of DRP versus dementia-only patients. METHODS: This retrospective database analysis examined commercial and Medicare Advantage with Part D enrollees aged ≥ 40 years with evidence of DRP and dementia from January 1, 2010, through March 31, 2017. The first observed indicator of psychosis (≥ 2 diagnoses and/or antipsychotic pharmacy fills) co-occurring with or following evidence of dementia (≥ 2 diagnoses and/or dementia medication pharmacy fills) was the index date among patients with DRP. DRP patients were propensity score matched 1:1 to patients with dementia only based on demographics, comorbidities, dementia type, dementia severity, and pre-index all-cause HCRU. Continuous health plan enrollment ≥ 12 months before evidence of dementia through the index date and ≥ 12 months following the index date was required. Outcomes included clinical events, HCRU, and health care costs. RESULTS: A significantly higher percentage of DRP patients had ≥1 diagnosis for behavioral health conditions in the pre-index period compared with dementia-only patients (depression: 32.4% vs. 22.8%; anxiety: 19.1% vs. 11.5%; and insomnia: 9.0% vs. 6.3%; P < 0.001 for all comparisons). Diagnoses of post-index clinical events were significantly more likely among DRP patients compared with dementia-only patients including falls/fractures (28.3% vs. 14.1%), neurologic effects (17.7% vs. 12.9%), sedation (15.0% vs. 2.4%), cardiovascular effects (7.0% vs. 4.1%), and extrapyramidal reactions (3.2% vs. 1.7%; P < 0.001 for all comparisons). Higher percentages of DRP patients had an all-cause outpatient visit (80.2% vs. 68.9%), emergency visit (65.0% vs. 36.6%), or inpatient stay (47.2% vs. 20.0%) during the post-index period (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). The proportions of DRP patients with a post-index dementia-related office visit, outpatient visit, emergency visit, or inpatient stay was 48%, 147%, 339%, and 286% higher, respectively, compared with patients with dementia only. Compared with patients with dementia only, patients with DRP had significantly higher mean total post-index all-cause costs ($21,657 vs. $12,026; P < 0.001) and dementia-related costs ($11,852 vs. $3,013; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with DRP were more likely to have diagnoses for behavioral health conditions, experience clinical events, and have higher mean all-cause and dementia-related HCRU and costs compared with patients with dementia only. These results reflect the unmet need of patients with DRP and an urgency for new treatment options to reduce substantial clinical and economic burden in this population. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, which participated in the study design, interpretation of study results, and critical review of the manuscript. Abler, Skoog, and Rashid were employees of Acadia Pharmaceuticals at the time this study was conducted. Frazer and Halpern were employees of Optum at the time this study was conducted and were funded by Acadia Pharmaceuticals to conduct the study.

Differences in Real-World Health and Economic Outcomes Among Patients with COPD Treated with Combination Tiotropium/Olodaterol Versus Triple Therapy.

BACKGROUND: The 2018 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) recommends combination long-acting muscarinic antagonists/long-acting beta2-agonists (LAMA + LABA) as preferred maintenance therapy for patients with symptomatic chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) after monotherapy and stepping up to triple therapy (TT; LAMA + LABA + inhaled corticosteroids [ICS]) in case of further exacerbations. Restrictions on TT recommendations have primarily been driven by higher pneumonia risk associated with regular ICS use. Evidence suggests that TT is overprescribed, which may affect economic and clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To compare health plan-paid costs, COPD exacerbations, and pneumonia diagnoses among patients newly treated with a LAMA + LABA regimen composed of tiotropium (TIO) + olodaterol (OLO) in a fixed-dose combination inhaler (TIO + OLO) or TT in a U.S. Medicare Advantage Part D insured population. METHODS: This retrospective study identified COPD patients aged ≥ 40 years who were initiating TIO + OLO or TT (index regimen) between January 1, 2014, and March 31, 2018, from a national administrative claims database. Continuous insurance coverage for 12 months pretreatment (baseline) and ≥ 30 days posttreatment (follow-up) was required. Patients were followed until the earliest of study end (May 31, 2018), discontinuation of index regimen (≥ 60-day gap in index regimen coverage), switch to a different regimen, or health plan disenrollment. Before analysis of outcomes, TIO + OLO and TT patients were 1:1 propensity score-matched on baseline demographics, comorbidities, COPD medication use, medical resource use, and costs. Cohort differences in post-match outcomes were assessed by Wald Z-test (annualized costs) and Kaplan-Meier method (time to first COPD exacerbation and pneumonia diagnosis). RESULTS: After matching, each cohort had 1,454 patients who were well balanced on baseline characteristics. Compared with TT, the TIO + OLO cohort incurred $7,041 (41.1%) lower mean COPD-related total costs ($10,094 vs. $17,135; P < 0.001); cohort differences in the medical component ($3,666 lower for TIO + OLO) were driven by lower mean acute inpatient costs ($3,053 lower for TIO + OLO). Combined mean COPD plus pneumonia-related medical costs were $5,212 (39.0%) lower for TIO + OLO versus TT ($8,209 vs. $13,421; P = 0.006), and total mean all-cause costs were $9,221 (30.4%) lower for TIO + OLO versus TT ($21,062 vs. $30,283; P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis found longer time to first severe COPD exacerbation (P = 0.020) and first pneumonia diagnosis (P = 0.002) for TIO + OLO versus TT and a lower percentage of TIO + OLO patients experiencing these events (severe COPD exacerbation: 9.0% vs. 16.1%; pneumonia: 14.5% vs. 19.3%). A secondary analysis, which expanded the TIO + OLO cohort to include any LAMA + LABA regimen, had similar findings for all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: COPD patients initiating TIO + OLO incurred lower costs to health plans and experienced fewer COPD exacerbation and pneumonia events relative to TT. These findings provide important real-world economic and clinical insight into the GOLD recommendations for TIO + OLO and LAMA + LABA therapy. The study findings also indicate the continued inconsistency between the recommendations and real-world clinical practices pertaining to TT. DISCLOSURES: This study was sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI). Palli and Franchino-Elder are employees of BIPI. Frazer, DuCharme, Buikema, and Anderson are employees of Optum, which was contracted by BIPI to conduct this study. The authors received no direct compensation related to the development of the manuscript. BIPI was given the opportunity to review the manuscript for medical and scientific accuracy as well as intellectual property considerations.

Quality of Life for Late Life Patients: Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Whole-Person Approach for Patients With Chronic Illnesses.

Quality of life (QOL) for patients with serious illness in late life is important for patients and policy makers and has implications for improved care delivery. This mixed-methods evaluation examined the effectiveness of a new whole-person approach to late life care-the LifeCourse-which provides patients with ongoing, across-setting assistance from lay health care workers, supported by a clinical team. We investigated whether participation in LifeCourse improves QOL for intervention patients, compared with usual care controls. QOL was assessed using baseline and 6 months Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative version tool ( n = 181 patients and 126 controls). LifeCourse had a significant positive effect on overall QOL for patients when compared with controls. Interview data revealed that participants adjusted expectations when assessing QOL and actively sought out ways to maintain QOL with meaningful activities and needed services. LifeCourse offers a promising model for improving QOL for late life patients.

Costs, exacerbations and pneumonia after initiating combination tiotropium olodaterol versus triple therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Aim: To compare health plan-paid costs, exacerbations and pneumonia outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) initiating combination tiotropium olodaterol (TIO + OLO) versus triple therapy (TT: long-acting muscarinic antagonist + long-acting ß2 agonists + inhaled corticosteroid). Patients & methods: COPD patients initiating TIO + OLO or TT between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2016 were identified from a managed care Medicare database and balanced for baseline characteristics using inverse probability of treatment weighting before assessment of outcomes. Results: Annual COPD-related and all-cause costs were US$4118 (35%) and US$5384 (23%) lower for TIO + OLO versus TT (both p ≤ 0.001). TIO + OLO patients had nearly half the severe exacerbations (8.3 vs 15.5%; p = 0.014) and pneumonia was also less common (18.9 vs 30.9%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: TIO + OLO was associated with improved economic and COPD health outcomes versus TT.

Expanding the Palliative Care Domains to Meet the Needs of a Community-Based Supportive Care Model.

BACKGROUND: Whole person care is appropriate for seriously ill persons. The current framework of palliative care domains in the National Consensus Project (NCP) Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care offers an opportunity to reassess the domains of care delivered at home, earlier in the course of illness. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study was used to test the applicability of a proposed, expanded set of domains. The results were used to inform a home-based, upstream model of supportive care for serious illness. METHODS: Quotes relating to the experience of late-life serious illness were derived from transcripts of 12 semi-structured group interviews conducted with patients, family, and professionals. Quotes originally coded to the NCP domains of palliative care were then coded to the proposed domain set, which included new categories of family/caregiver, legal/financial, and legacy/bereavement domains. RESULTS: A total of 489 quotes were assigned to the proposed expanded set of domains. One hundred one (19%) coded to the family/caregiver domain, 28 (5%) to the legacy/bereavement domain, and 27 (5%) to the legal/financial domain. Ninety-seven (87%) of the 111 quotes coded to family/caregiver had been initially coded to the NCP social aspects of care. Family/caregiver themes included challenges, rewards, insights, and family growth. CONCLUSION: The preponderance of family-related issues suggests that including the family domain may promote recognition and support of family caregivers and the services they provide. Although this study provides some support for including the legacy/bereavement and legal/financial domains, additional research is needed to determine whether there is a basis for including them in the domain structure.

Patient Self-Defined Goals: Essentials of Person-Centered Care for Serious Illness.

This research, a descriptive qualitative analysis of self-defined serious illness goals, expands the knowledge of what goals are important beyond the physical-making existing disease-specific guidelines more holistic. Integration of goals of care discussions and documentation is standard for quality palliative care but not consistently executed into general and specialty practice. Over 14 months, lay health-care workers (care guides) provided monthly supportive visits for 160 patients with advanced heart failure, cancer, and dementia expected to die in 2 to 3 years. Care guides explored what was most important to patients and documented their self-defined goals on a medical record flow sheet. Using definitions of an expanded set of whole-person domains adapted from the National Consensus Project (NCP) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, 999 goals and their associated plans were deductively coded and examined. Four themes were identified-medical, nonmedical, multiple, and global. Forty percent of goals were coded into the medical domain; 40% were coded to nonmedical domains-social (9%), ethical (7%), family (6%), financial/legal (5%), psychological (5%), housing (3%), legacy/bereavement (3%), spiritual (1%), and end-of-life care (1%). Sixteen percent of the goals were complex and reflected a mix of medical and nonmedical domains, "multiple" goals. The remaining goals (4%) were too global to attribute to an NCP domain. Self-defined serious illness goals express experiences beyond physical health and extend into all aspects of whole person. It is feasible to elicit and record serious illness goals. This approach to goals can support meaningful person-centered care, decision-making, and planning that accords with individual preferences of late life.